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Promotion: RED OUT the Bulldogs
First 3,000 fans receive Official Ball State Basketball Spirit Towels courtesy of Mutual Bank
 The K9 Friz-B-Crew from America's Got Talent will perform at halftime

­What's On Tap . . .  
The Cardinals host instate rival and nationally ranked Butler Wednesday night at Worthen Arena ... Ball State enters the game with a 2-2 record after dropping back-to-back contests last week at Temple and against UC Davis ... The Cardinals are led by third-year head coach Billy Taylor ... Butler enters the contest ranked 20th in the nation by ESPN/USA Today and 23rd by the Associated Press ... The Bulldogs most recently played in the 76 Classic in Anaheim Calif., where they posted a 1-2 record ... Butler dropped games to No. 16 Minnesota and No. 19 Clemson while defeating perennial power UCLA ... The Bulldogs are led by third-year head coach Brad Stevens.

Wednesday's game will be broadcast by the Ball State Sports Network with Jerry Peirson and Vince Welch calling the game ... The game will be carried on WIPB-Muncie, WTTV 4, WHME-South Bend, WNDA-Jeffersonville, WYCS-Louisville, WJTS-Jasper, Hometown Television-Noblesville (tape delay), Comcast Fort Wayne and Indianapolis (Ch. 81 tape delay).

Series History With Butler . . .
Wednesday's game marks the 101st meeting all-time between Ball State and Butler ... The Cardinals trail the all-time series 63-37 ... The game will mark the 61st consecutive season that the two teams have met on the basketball court, dating back to the 1950-51 season ... The two teams first met December 23, 1924 when Butler claimed a 27-13 victory in Indianapolis ... Ball State has only played two teams more times than Butler (Indiana State - 123 and Western Michigan - 109).

Last season, the Cardinals dropped a hard-fought 64-55 contest to Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse ... Senior forward Anthony Newell and freshman forward Jarrod Jones led the Cardinals as they both posted double-doubles in the loss ... The two became the first Cardinals' duo to record double-doubles in the same game since Robert Owens and Cameron Echols both accomplished the feat February 6, 2003 ... Newell posted his 13th career double-dip as he scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds ... Jones recorded his second straight double-double in his second career collegiate game as he finished with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds ... Butler was led  by Matt Howard who scored 15 points and six rebounds ... He was the only Bulldog in double figures scoring. 

Great Alaska Shootout . . .
The Cardinals will be part of the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout, which will be held November 24-27 on the campus of Alaska Anchorage ... Ball State will be joined in the eight-team field by host Alaska Anchorage, Arizona State, Drake, Houston Baptist, St. John's, Southeast Louisiana and Southern Utah ... The Cardinals will be making their second trip all-time to Alaska as they took part in the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks during the 2002-03 season in which they posted a 2-1 record.

Digital Guide Available Online . . .
The 2009-10 Ball State men's basketball digital guide is available online at www.ballstatesports.com by clicking the digital guide button on the left hand side ... The guide was produced by the BSU athletics media relations office and 180 Communications ... The digital guide will replace Ball State's traditional printed media guide.

Last Time Out . . .
The Cardinals suffered their second straight loss Saturday afternoon as they dropped a 60-58 contest to visiting UC Davis ... Ball State had a last second shot fall just short as it fell to 2-2 on the year ...  Freshman guard Jauwan Scaife turned in his fourth straight strong performance as he led the Cardinals with 14 points in 34 minutes of action ... Scaife has now opened his collegiate career with double figure scoring efforts in his first four games ... Senior forward Terrence Watson posted his first career double-double in the loss as he scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds off of the bench.

Ball State finished the game shooting 37.0 percent (17-of-46) from the field and 41.7 percent (five-of-12) from long range ... The Cardinals also shot 59.4 percent (19-of-32) from the charity stripe, including just 12-of-23 (52.2%) in the second half ... Sophomore forward Jarrod Jones finished the game with 12 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes of action.

Scouting The Cardinals . . .
Ball State enters Wednesday's game with a 2-2 record on the season ... The Cardinals opened the year with wins over Valparaiso and SIU Edwardsville, but have since dropped games to Temple and UC Davis ... Ball State is averaging 62.2 points per game while allowing 62.8 points per game ... The Cardinals are out-rebounding their opponents by a 36.0-30.3 margin this season.

Sophomore forward Jarrod Jones leads the team in scoring as he averages 14.8 points per game ... Jones has connected on 53.8 percent (21-of-39) from the field this season ... He is second on the team in rebounding at 7.0 boards per game ... Freshman guard Jauwan Scaife is second on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game ... Scaife has connected on 94.1 percent (16-of-17) from the free throw line this season.

Junior forward Malik Perry averages 8.3 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game ... Senior forward Terrence Watson leads the team on the glass as he averages 9.3 caroms per game while adding 8.0 points per game.

Scouting The Bulldogs . . .
Butler enters Wednesday's game with a 4-2 overall record ... The Bulldogs are ranked 23rd in the Associated Press Poll and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today Poll ... Butler posted a 1-2 record at the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif., over the weekend ... The Bulldogs lost to No. 16 Minnesota and No. 19 Clemson while defeating UCLA.

Butler is averaging 69.2 points per game while allowing 65.8 points per game ... The Bulldogs are being out-rebounded by a 33.0-32.2 margin this season.

Guard Shelvin Mack leads the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game as he has connected on a team-high 13 three-pointers ... Forward Gordon Hayward is second on the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game and is leads the team in rebounding at 9.0 boards per game ... Forward Matt Howard rounds out the double figure scorers at 11.3 points per game and is second on the glass at 5.3 boards per game.

Muncie's Own . . .
Freshman guard Jauwan Scaife has posted a strong debut to his collegiate career ... Scaife, a Muncie native, has scored in double figures in all four games this season and is second on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game ... He scored 14 points against Valparaiso, 12 points against SIU Edwardsville, 10 points at Temple and 14 points against UC Davis.

Defensive Prowess . . .
The Cardinals lead the Mid-American Conference this season in scoring defense as they are holding opponents to 62.8 points per game ... Senior forward Terrence Watson is second in the MAC this season in blocked shots as he is averaging 2.25 rejections per game.

Last season, the Cardinals limited opponents to just 59.7 points per game and only 57.2 points per game in conference play ... Ball State held 16 opponents under 60 points last year, including four teams under the 50-point mark

Home Sweet Home . . .
Wednesday's game marks the 259th game for the Cardinals in Worthen Arena (previously University Arena) since its opening January 15, 1992 ... Ball State owns a 188-70 record all-time in Worthen Arena, which is good for .731 winning percentage ... Last season, the Cardinals posted a 10-6 home record on the year, including a 6-2 mark in Mid-American Conference play ... The Cardinals opened the home portion of the 2009-10 schedule with victories over Valparaiso and SIU Edwardsville ... During its history, Ball State has averaged just over 10 wins per season at Worthen Arena.

Welcome To Ball State . . .
The Cardinals had a pair of strong debuts in the season opener as senior forward Terrence Watson and freshman guard Jauwan Scaife each played well in their first career BSU games ... Watson, a transfer from Mississippi, fell just shy of a double-double with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds ... He also recorded four blocked shots in 31 minutes of play.

Scaife, a Muncie native, scored 14 points in his collegiate debut in 30 minutes of action ... He connected on five-of-10 from the field and tallied a pair of three-pointers.

Offensive Outburst . . .
The Cardinals turned in a strong offensive performance in the season opener as they scored 88 points against Valparaiso ... The 88 point output is the largest for the Cardinals since the 2005-06 season when BSU scored 89 points in a victory over Eastern Michigan in overtime (March 4, 2006) ... It is the most points scored in a regulation games since the Cardinals scored 88 points against Western Michigan in the 2004-05 season (March 5, 2005).

A Cardinal Six-Pack . . .
Ball State had six different players in doubles figures in their season opening victory over Valparaiso ... Sophomore forward Jarrod Jones led the team in scoring with 19 points, junior Malik Perry had 17 points, freshman Jauwan Scaife had 14 points, senior Brawley Chisholm had 12 points, senior Terrence Watson had 11 points and sophomore guard Randy Davis added 11 points ... The six players in doubles figures were the most for the Cardinals since February 7, 1999 (vs. Bowling Green).

Preseason Honors. . .
Sophomore forward Jarrod Jones has recently been named to the CollegeInsider.com preseason Mid-Major All-America Team ... Jones is one of four players from the Mid-American Conference to be honored, joining Rodney Pierce (Buffalo), David Kool (Western Michigan) and Anthony Hitchens (Akron) ... Jones, a native of Michigan City, Ind., turned in one of the top freshmen seasons in Ball State history last year as he was third all-time among BSU freshmen in rebounding (227) and fourth all-time in freshmen scoring (346) ... He was named the MAC Freshman of the Year after leading the Cardinals in scoring at 11.2 points and rebounding at 7.2 boards per game.

He opened the 2009-10 season in impressive fashion as he scored a team-high 19 points against Valparaiso ... He connected on seven-of-11 from the field and five-of-six from the free throw line ... In his first two career season openers, he is averaging 20.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game ... He is shooting 14-of-22 (.636) from the field and 12-of-16 (.750) from the line in season openers.

Cardinals Sign Two . . .
Head coach Billy Taylor announced the signing of Matt Kamieniecki (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) and Marvin Jordan (Peoria, Ill./Manual) to national letters of intent during the early signing period ... Kamieniecki and Jordan will begin their Ball State careers during the 2010-2011 season.

Kamieniecki, a 6-7 forward, is a standout at Clarkston High School ... He averaged 13.0 points and nine rebounds last season while leading the Wolves to a 24-2 overall record ... His play helped Clarkston to a state semifinal appearance in Class A as he averaged 15.3 points per game in the postseason ... As a sophomore, he guided Clarkston to a state quarterfinals appearance and a 13-2 record ... Highlighting his postseason run was a 22-point, 13-rebound effort in the quarterfinals against eventual state champion Saginaw.

Jordan, a 5-11 point guard, stars at Peoria Manual High School ... He is a two-time Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Honorable Mention All-State recipient and has led Manual to a 48-16 record in two seasons as a starting point guard ... He led his team to back-to-back conference and sectional championships as well as a berth in the 2008 2A State Championship game ... He averaged 11 points per game as a junior and dished out four assists per game ... He was rated No. 25 overall in the Class of 2010 by Windycitybasketball.com and was tabbed as one of the top 25 Illinois recruits in 2010 by Scout.com.

89th Season Underway . . .
Ball State opens its 89th season in program history Friday evening ... The Cardinals have posted a 1081-981-1 record all-time, which is good for a .524 winning percentage ... Ball State is 719-310 all-time at home in Muncie as the Cardinals have won 69.9 percent of games at home.

Friday's contest marked the 89th season opener in program history and the Cardinals are 52-37 all-time in openers ... Ball State is 40-9 all-time when it opens the year at home in Muncie

MAC Honors For Jones . . .
Sophomore forward Jarrod Jones was named preseason All-Mid-American Conference West Division as voted on by the MAC News Media Association ... Jones, a native of Michigan City, Ind., turned in one of the top freshmen seasons in Ball State history last year as he was third all-time among BSU freshmen in rebounding (227) and fourth all-time in freshmen scoring (346) ... He was named the MAC Freshman of the Year after leading the Cardinals in scoring at 11.2 points and rebounding at 7.2 boards per game.

Jones, an Honorable Mention All-MAC selection last year, started 30 of 31 games while scoring in double figures 18 times. He burst onto the scene with a 21-point, 13-rebound effort in his collegiate debut, marking the first of his three double-doubles on the year.

BSU Picked Fourth In West . . .
The Cardinals were tabbed to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference West Division in the preseason poll and were one of five MAC West Division team to earn first place votes ...   Central Michigan was selected to capture the league's West Division title, picking  up 113 points in the very balanced division ... Northern Illinois (102 points) was chosen second, followed by Eastern Michigan (94 points). Western Michigan (79) and Toledo (29) round out the West Division poll.

Voting for the East Division saw defending MAC Tournament champion Akron come out on top, earning 190 points ... Kent State was second with 108 points, followed by Buffalo (97 points), Miami (78 points), Bowling Green (54 points) and Ohio (32 points).

The Zips were also the favorite to win the 2009 MAC Tournament title, earning 19 votes, followed Buffalo (2), Northern Illinois (1), Kent State (1) and Bowling Green (1). 

Media Exposure . . .
The Cardinals have announced three early season non-conference games will be televised by the Ball State Sports Network (BSSN), including the 2009-10 season opener against Valparaiso ... BSSN will also broadcast early non-conference games December 2 against Butler and December 9 at Indiana State ... New to the affiliate lineup this year for men's basketball is the addition of WTTV-4, beginning with the Butler game ... The addition of WTTV-4 as an affiliate of BSSN will allow BSU men's basketball to be broadcast statewide.

Also, the Cardinals will have two games broadcast on FSN Ohio as part of the Mid-American Conference package ... Ball State's Jan. 17 game at home against Toledo and its Feb. 6 game against Akron are slated to be aired on FSN Ohio.

Wooden Tradition . . .
Ball State will be part of one of the nation's premier college basketball events this season as the Cardinals will meet instate foe Purdue in the 10th annual John R. Wooden Tradition held at Conseco Fieldhouse December 19 at 4 p.m., and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network ... The two teams were originally scheduled to play at Purdue (Dec. 5), but moved the contest to be part of the prestigious event.

Established in 2000, the John R. Wooden Tradition is an annual tribute to the legendary former coach and the excellence he personifies ... Similar to the standards established by the Wooden Classic, its California-based sibling founded in 1994, the events host college basketball's elite programs ... The Wooden Tradition is a celebration of the game of basketball.

Seven New Faces . . .
The Cardinals added seven newcomers to the team this season, five of which will be eligible to play this year ... Leading the charge for Ball State is freshman guard Jauwan Scaife, freshman forward Myron Green Jr., freshman guard John Green, freshman guard Zach Harrison and freshman forward Will Hauser ... Sophomore forward Franklin Henderson and junior guard Dusty Mills will sit out the season after transferring to Ball State this year.

Looking Ahead . . .
The Cardinals will be off until next Wednesday when they travel to instate rival Indiana State for an 8:05 p.m. tip--off on the Ball State Sports Network.